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Journalism of Courage
A provincial government in Pakistan decided to convert the ancestral homes of two legendary Indian actors Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor into museums under the Peshawar Revival Plan, a move that has earned a lot of praise. And when Kumar requested fans from across the border to share pictures of his ancestral home, they didn’t disappoint.
The 97-year-old actor got a glimpse of his ancestral home in the region after Pakistani journalist Shiraz Hassan shared a few images on Twitter. Although they showed the home was in a dilapidated state, the actor said he was grateful to see them.
Responding to the tweet, the veteran actor who has received Pakistan’s highest civilian award, asked if others could share more photos of his home, where he spent days of his life in pre-Independence era.
“Thank you for sharing this. Requesting all in #Peshawar to share photos of my ancestral house (if you’ve clicked the pic) and tag #DilipKumar,” he tweeted.
https://twitter.com/TheDilipKumar/status/1311217944764973056
Soon, hashtag #DilipKumar was trending with fans sharing images they had taken in the past. Many wrote about how much the actor is respected and loved in Pakistan.
Many also shared their experiences of watching his films while growing up, or about how they felt about visiting the old house in Peshawar’s oldest and most famous road Qissa Khwani or Street of Storytellers.
Here’s are some of responses:
https://twitter.com/Kamunicationist/status/1311261904430608384
https://twitter.com/fahadbutt/status/1311360134501871619
https://twitter.com/Adnandurrani8/status/1311383036479537152
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Directorate of Archeology and Museums, in a letter issued on September 23, had said that it plans to declare the Kapoor Haveli as protected antiquity. It has further requested the Peshawar district administration to initiate the process for acquiring land for the ancestral homes of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.
The K-P Directorate of Archeology and Museums Director Dr Samad told The Express Tribune that the department has dispatched a letter to the Peshawar deputy commissioner to assess the value of the houses to purchase the houses of the two legendary stars and convert them into museums.
Raj Kapoor’s ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actor’s grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor.
Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born in the building. It has been declared a national heritage site by the provincial government. In 2018, the KP government decided to convert the Kapoor Haveli into a museum after a request by the actor’s son Rishi Kapoor.
Kumar’s ancestral house is also located in the same locality. The house is in shambles and was declared as a national heritage site in 2014 by the then Nawaz Sharif government.
Reacting to the news, Kumar’s wife Saira Banu said, “I wish the provincial government success in its efforts and sincerely hope that this time the dream comes true.”
